By David Schwartz

When the curtain opens on “WE”…The Passion & Rhythm of the People on Saturday, October 3, the audience at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts Au-Rene Theater will be treated to a Broadway-style show featuring more than 100 musicians, dancers, choirs, poets, variety acts and athletes from throughout South Florida.

Among the performers taking the stage during the 8 p.m. program are a 9-year-old pianist, a hip-hop dancer who is the same age, a 9 and 11-year-old sister contemporary dance act, a 17-year-old pop/R&B singer, an African percussionist, a 40-member gospel choir, a poet who is a professor at Nova Southeastern University and 16 Taiko drummers.

Neil Goldberg, founder and creator of the Pompano Beach-based Cirque Dreams, is lending his talents as director and producer of the theatrical extravaganza.

“It’s going to be visually stunning. It’s going to be emotionally moving. It’s going to be Broward transformed into Broadway,” Goldberg, a more than 20-year resident of the county, told “Focus on South Florida” host Irika Sargent during an appearance on the CBS4News/My33 program earlier this year.

“WE”…The Passion & Rhythm of the People is part of Duende, three days of events Oct. 2-4 in downtown Fort Lauderdale culminating the year-long celebration of Broward County’s 100^th anniversary.